15 June 2012

Notes from a friend.

The other day I received a note on Facebook from Taylor, who is still in France, traveling around with her mother.  She wrote this sweet little note on my wall about a woman we saw frequently while in France.  This woman owned a small Kebab place right next to the tram track and we went there our first night in Grenoble. It became a place to meet up, to eat good food, and practice a little French. She became a woman we all looked up to, and she became our friend. 
Anyways, here is what Taylor wrote:
Last night I visited our favorite Kebab Vendor. She was sitting around with a few friends from the city, a french woman, a niece of her’s from Turkey--who also speaks French and English, her husband, myself and my mother. We chatted for a while, about life, the roles of women, men, what to do after college, what to do when your feet hurt, love, and Coca Cola. You would have loved to have been there!

She says that every year it’s the same. They come, her étudiants, and they eat her food. She learns about their lives. Some bring their parents. And they become her family. Then they all leave. But they never really leave. She has them all in her heart. All of us are in her heart. Always.
Her note brought up so many memories and emotions and I spent a little time reflecting on how I am feeling. I was sitting in the car on the way home from Seattle, after spending the day looking at apartments with my mom and roommate. It was so incredibly beautiful out. One of the days that makes me fall in love with the Northwest again. I was just so happy to be in Seattle/Portland. I miss Europe so much, but I feel like I was ready to get back to familiar.
This perfectly describes how I feel, how I still feel about my time spent living abroad. I have left the places and people where I found them, but they have never really left me. I have them all in my heart, where they will stay forever.

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Merci mon amie!

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